A Cat Leash

Leashes are not just for Dogs !

As any cat owner knows, most cats love to be outside, at least some of the time. Cats are curious and adventurous by nature, so they usually love the great outdoors.

Of course if you are a city dweller and you brought up your cat never to go out doors, he/she doesn't know what they're missing.

It's hard to let your beloved cat out of the house to wander knowing they could get run down by a car, mauled by a neighbors dog, or ravaged by the local wildlife.

So they spend their days sitting by the window staring longingly at the outside world.

But thanks to the cat leash, your proud moggy can enjoy the best of both worlds without the danger of becoming road kill, or a predator's next meal.

Some people would argue that cats don’t belong on a leash. “Leashes are for dogs!” But taking your cat out for a walk on a cat leash is the perfect way to ensure the safety of your cat, whilst also improving their quality of life.

After all, even though they aren’t dogs, cats deserve to get out of the house every once in a while.

Training your cat to wear a cat leash can take quite some time, especially if they were not trained to wear one when they were a kitten.

A cat leash is not just a collar that fits around the cat’s neck, because if that were the case the cat would probably end up hanging itself fairly quickly.

The cat leash is actually more of a harness that fits around the cat’s body and to which the leash is attached. You can then use the cat leash to guide the cat during a walk.

Fitting a Cat Leash

Getting the harness on your cat for the first few times may prove to be a struggle so I suggest you wear gloves to protect yourself from the cats claws and teeth.

It may take quite a few attempts before you can even get the harness on your cat, but be patient, if at first you don't succeed, try and try again.

Once you have the cat leash on your cat it could take a while for the cat to adjust to the feeling of wearing it.

I suggest that until the cat is comfortable with the cat leash that you stay inside the house.

Once your cat begins to behave normally around the house while wearing the cat leash, then it’s time to head outside.

Your first time outside with your cat on a leash is going to be a strange experience for both of you.

You will both be self conscious, your cat because of wearing the cat leash and you because you may feel people are giving you odd looks.

After all depending on where you live, it may not be every day they see someone walking a cat.

Walking Your Cat

Don’t expect the first walk to go very well or very far.

Naturally if your cat has been use to going it alone he/she is not going to like having company.

For a cat, ones company two's a crowd and besides you're cramping their style.

On your first outing don't expect the cat to walk along a sidewalk.

It's best to choose a spot where the cat can just sniff around and go where it wants to go, within reason.

Forcing your cat to walk along a sidewalk whilst on a cat leash will only result in you dragging the cat and that's not good for the cats pride or yours.

Let your cat take the lead and try not to be too controlling at first. After a while and perhaps several more short outings on the cat leash your cat will begin to walk around more naturally.

Never Leave Your Cat Alone

It's very important to remember when using a cat leash that you should NEVER leave your cat unattended. It may seem OK to tie the cat leash to a fence like you would with a dog, while you do something else, but this is extremely dangerous.

Your cat can easily become entangled in the cat leash. Once unable to free themselves they may end up suffering a heart attack brought on by the stress of being trapped, or just choke to death.

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